Bonds Beyond Friendship
by NinjaCat Kai
Summary: A re-imagining of the Pokemon Rangers


A/N – This is my very first pokemon fanfic. A quick note before you read: this is not canon. The characters here will have the same names as some of the characters from the games, as far as personality and actions go I have taken liberations. Most will be OCs. This story will mainly focus on Pokemon Rangers, and I do not intend for them to interact with pokemon by the power of friendship, and a magic top that transfers feelings. Elements are also taken from Pokemon Conquest and other games, combining into one universe.

A Bit of History:

Several hundred years ago, the land was divided under an age of feudalism. Land and resources were constantly changing hands as the lords squabbled amongst themselves, each longing for the title of King. It was prophesied that once the land was united, Arceus himself would descend and bestow his blessing on the new King, ushering in an era of peace among both pokemon and people.

Though anyone could fight as a soldier, there was an elite class known as Warriors. Warriors were highly trained with multiple weapons, bare hands, tactics, and, most importantly, bonded to a pokemon. A bond is a mutual sharing of energy between both the pokemon and Warrior. Warriors became faster, stronger, and keener of sight and hearing. Depending on the strength of the pokemon, a Warrior may even change physically: slightly pointed ears, more pronounced canines, sharper nails, or maybe a bit of color in their hair. Not usually anything too drastic. On the pokemon side, they gained a hidden skill or ability: blaze, flash fire, inner focus, motor drive, and many others. Bonding is an ability a person is born with, and though one can be guided through the steps, they cannot learn if they do not have the ability, like a tone-deaf person learning how to sing. Though most warriors only bonded to one pokemon, it was not uncommon for a warrior to be bonded to two. There has never been record of a warrior bonded to more than six pokemon.

Bonding, especially to more than one pokemon, was dangerous. Because it is a mutual sharing of energy, it is imperative a warrior be able to match the energy of his or her pokemon. An imbalance of power will cause drastic changes, both physical and not, and the larger the imbalance the more drastic the change, for both humans and pokemon. The penalty is death for the weaker one. Not execution, the bond itself will kill the Warrior. When it's not immediate death, it's always slow and painful. There have been records of Warriors burning from the inside out, having their internal organs mixed up, freezing internally, losing coordination, slowly deteriorating, and suffocating among others. It is for this reason that bonding to legendary pokemon is taboo. A taboo only one warrior has survived breaking.

A secret order dedicated to uniting the country silently watched each of the lords, looking for a strong and compassionate leader who would rule justly over the land. One emerged in the south, building alliances with the surrounding lords and successful in his military maneuvers, using creative strategies to outwit his opponents with minimal causalities. In the north rose a powerful lord who swiftly conquered and subjugated the surrounding lords to his will. The secret order sent only a few Warriors to the southern lord at first, testing him. Among them was an apprentice Warrior partnered to a growlithe she called Tiger, and her master, a powerful Warrior partnered with a charizard. Inadvertently, she and the young lord became close, and she knew she would do all in her power to help him succeed.

Mere days before the two armies clashed in their final battle, the secret order appeared before the southern lord and pledged their allegiance. Their numbers helped, but the south remained outnumbered. In addition, the northern lord, using some unknown power, forced Suicune, Entei, and Raikou to fight on his behalf, decimating his adversary's morale. The apprentice Warrior, having been raised by Raikou after she was abandoned as a small child, broke through the northern lord's control over Raikou, freeing him. To turn the tides of the battle and free the other two legendries, she convinced Raikou to bond with her.

Immense power flowed into her, changing her irreversibly. Her hair turned bright yellow with purple tips, her nails formed hard claws, her eyes turned red, her ears developed a slight point, and her canines elongated into small fangs. Black markings formed on her back and shoulders, mimicking Raikou's sharp markings. Her form crackled with electricity she could barely control. The power overflowed through her bond with her growlithe, evolving him into an arcanine with the same stripe pattern as Raikou. Together, the three of them defeated Suicune and Entei, releasing them from the lord's control. With their strongest weapon gone, the northern army quickly lost morale and was defeated.

The land was united, and as prophesized Arceus descended to bestow his blessing on the new king. The king bowed his head in sorrow as Arceus stood before him, and Arceus took pity on the dying Warrior. Touching the young Warrior, he gave her his blessing as well, using his power to make the bond between her and Raikou stable so she would live. How long no one could guess.

Years turned into decades, those decades to centuries, and times changed. The way of the Warriors was forgotten as pokeballs emerged, changing the relationship between man and pokemon. The art of bonding became obscure legend, then myth as it slowly faded from memory. A few trainers could instinctively form bonds, but they were few and far between, and without a name they did not differentiate the feeling as anything more than a tight friendship. Throughout all the changes, a lone Warrior and her arcanine watched, silent observers seemingly untouched by time.


End file.
